coquette

noun

co·​quette kō-ˈket How to pronounce coquette (audio)
plural coquettes
1
: a woman who endeavors without sincere affection to gain the attention and admiration of men
… the book brought to mind a true Southern coquette, flashy and sweet and alluring all at the same time.Tina Jordan
2
: any of several small, tropical American hummingbirds (genus Lophornis) with the males typically having a colorful or ornate tuft of feathers on the head
… the rufous-crested coquette, a tiny hummingbird (with a red mohawk "hair-do") that was just as … flirty as its name.Thelma Dalmas
But the tiniest of these hummers was the one that elicited the most excitement: a festive coquette, an extremely rare green-crested bird with a white rump patch, only 3 inches long.James F. McCarty
coquettish adjective
coquettishly adverb
coquettishness noun

Examples of coquette in a Sentence

She was a bit of a coquette.
Recent Examples on the Web Ruffle Mini Dress This flouncy dress samples the trendy coquette aesthetic with its sweetheart neckline, sheer sleeves, ruffly details, and all-over floral. Miles Walls, People.com, 26 Oct. 2024 Brie Larson Getty Images The coquette look is still alive and well atop Brie Larson's head. Marci Robin, Allure, 15 Sep. 2024 Delicate bows add a coquette detail to the backs of this pair, which covers the ankles (and keep them from catching a draft). Malia Griggs, Glamour, 12 Sep. 2024 The coquette trend picked up steam during the summer of 2023, and led to social media users donning romantic, whimsical clothes. Rebecca Aizin, Peoplemag, 13 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for coquette 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'coquette.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French, feminine of coquet — see coquet entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of coquette was circa 1611

Dictionary Entries Near coquette

Cite this Entry

“Coquette.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coquette. Accessed 2 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

coquette

noun
co·​quette kō-ˈket How to pronounce coquette (audio)
: a woman who tries without sincere affection to gain the attention and admiration of men : flirt
coquettish adjective
coquettishly adverb
coquettishness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on coquette

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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